Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1133: The Decision of Thebes

Agesilaus was momentarily stunned, taken aback by Epaminondas's resonant words and fearless expression.

Seeing the situation turning sour, Callistratus prepared to step in and smooth things over.

But the Persian ambassador, Datis, cut in sharply. "Once the treaty is signed, you must abide by its terms, cease all hostilities, and restore peace to Greece! This is the desire of the people in every Greek city-state, and it is the urgent demand of the great King of Persia! From this day forth, if any city-state dares to provoke another war and invade its neighbors, Persia will vigorously support the remaining signatories in forming an allied force to severely punish them! Thebans, I advise you to obediently honor the treaty!"

Epaminondas sneered coldly. He stared directly at the ambassador, his eyes radiating a piercing chill. "It was because we trusted Persian words that we signed the King's Peace and dissolved the Boeotian League. And what was the result? The Spartans violated the treaty, launched a sneak attack on Thebes, captured our acropolis, and enslaved our people! What did Persia do about this shameless violation? You did absolutely nothing! So... peace? Independence and autonomy? To hell with them all! We Thebans now only trust ourselves!"

Epaminondas's emotions surged, and he clenched his fists so tightly that the Persian ambassador instinctively stumbled back several steps.

However, Epaminondas did not plant his fist into the ambassador's face. Instead, he turned resolutely and strode out of the hall. The other Thebans followed closely behind.

The Theban delegation swept out of the hall. No one tried to stop them, and for a moment, the venue was dead silent.

"Does the Theban signature still count?" Callistratus's voice broke the silence.

"Of course not!" Agesilaus snapped, his face darkening. "Since the Thebans have no intention of honoring the treaty, there is no need to force them into it. I suggest we strike their signature!"

"The Thebans are arrogant and unreasonable! I fear they will continue to wage war once they return, and the King of Persia will absolutely not allow such a thing to happen!" Datis finally roared in humiliated fury. "Persia will heavily support you in forming an army to punish Thebes and uphold the sanctity of the treaty!"

"Datis is absolutely right. We should do exactly that!" Agesilaus immediately looked at Callistratus. "What do you Athenians think?"

Callistratus did not hesitate. "Athens also supports this decision. If Sparta intends to punish the Thebans, we will provide naval support, just as we once helped the Thebans."

Thebes didn't even have a navy; Athenian naval support was completely useless. Agesilaus knew this perfectly well, but he raised no objections. He felt that regardless of whether the fleet provided practical help, the gesture itself held immense significance. It would show the other city-states on the Greek Mainland that Athens stood with Sparta. Moreover, this first instance of support would inevitably lead to a second, and a third... There were still many days ahead.

Therefore, Agesilaus immediately expressed his gratitude to the Athenian delegation.

While the envoys of the various city-states continued to discuss the treaty, the Theban delegation had already ridden out of the City of Sparta, heading straight for the coastal port.

Only then did one of the Theban envoys have the time to complain. "Epaminondas, your speech in the hall was rousing, but it will inevitably enrage Sparta and intensify their attacks on Thebes!"

Epaminondas looked back at them and said in a deep voice, "Some among us still held illusions about these peace talks, but I believe they can completely discard them now! Our ally, Athens, has betrayed us. Just like the Spartans, they do not want Thebes to unite the entire Boeotia Region!"

"You are right, Epaminondas!" another Theban envoy said indignantly. "Although the treaty talks about 'guaranteeing the independence and freedom of each city-state and dissolving all established leagues or alliances,' it also says that 'city-states can voluntarily assist each other.' Even if Athens and Sparta dissolve their alliances, their former allies will still voluntarily depend on them and answer to their commands, drawn by their influence and strength. But if we dissolve the Boeotian League, we will soon turn into scattered sand!"

"Athens and Sparta are doing everything they can to stop us precisely because they fear that once we unite the Boeotia Region, we will have the power to oppose them. We absolutely must not yield!" Epaminondas's tone was resolute.

"But this time, with the support of Athens and Persia, Sparta's attacks on us will be even fiercer!" the Theban envoy said worriedly.

"We are not fighting entirely alone. The Thessalians will support us with all their might, and we can also seek help from the Kingdom of Daunia," Epaminondas reassured them.

"Daionia has maintained friendly relations with Sparta for over a decade. Would they choose to help us?"

"Pelopidas and I have discussed this issue, and we agree that there must be bad blood between Persia and Daionia. Since Sparta tore up their Friendship Agreement with the Kingdom of Daunia to secure this treaty and side with Persia, it is highly likely that Daionia will accept our proposal and ally with Thebes."

Epaminondas's words plunged the other Theban envoys into deep thought.

"But no matter who we ally with, we Thebans must rely on our own strength to grow powerful!" Epaminondas looked ahead with a resolute gaze.

...

Two days later, the Athenian delegation also left Sparta and returned to their home city.

On the journey back, a smug Callistratus turned to Callias. "In these peace talks, Athens reaped the greatest benefits and the largest harvest."

Callias was somewhat puzzled. "With the Persian ambassador's bias, we had no choice but to assist Sparta in attacking Thebes. This is practically reaffirming Sparta's position as hegemon. It should be Sparta reaping the greatest harvest."

Although Callistratus felt a measure of contempt for this mediocre Athenian envoy, Callias was the torchbearer of the Eleusinian Mysteries. He wielded significant influence not only in Athens but also throughout the Peloponnese. Otherwise, this treaty wouldn't have ultimately been named after him: the Peace of Callias.

Because Callistratus had agreed to help Sparta attack Thebes, he would inevitably face attacks from his political enemies once he returned to Athens. He needed Callias's full support, so he patiently explained, "Ever since the Peloponnesian War, the strength of Athens has been completely sapped. We were not only brought under Sparta's control but also forced to dissolve all of our alliances. For Athens, which thrives on maritime trade, this was an exceptionally heavy blow. Our national strength only began to recover when the Corinthian War broke out. However, the signing of the King's Peace forced us to once again disband the allies who had joined us, until the signing of this treaty—"

Callistratus emphasized his tone. "Sparta has acknowledged the existence of the Athenian Maritime Alliance. This effectively places Athens on equal footing with Sparta. As for our agreement to assist Sparta in battle, it's nothing more than tossing them an empty promise. The truth is, fighting Thebes doesn't require a navy at all. Even if Sparta demands that we dispatch our army in the future, we can find a way to stall and brush them off."

"Sparta has become our ally for now, but there will still be clashes of interest between them and Athens in the future. Thebes once became our ally because of Sparta, but do not forget why they were the enemy of Athens for such a long time prior to that."

"Thebes's failure to sign the treaty this time will inevitably ensure that the war between them and Sparta continues. This is a good thing for us. Thebes has experienced a massive surge in national strength, so Sparta will not defeat them easily. A prolonged war will drain both sides. When the time is right, Athens will intervene and decide the final victor, thereby reaping the maximum profit!"

Callias was convinced.

Yet, when the delegation returned to Athens, Callistratus received an urgent notice from the Council: secret intelligence from within the city of Thebes revealed that they had dispatched Pelopidas as an envoy to Daionia, seeking an alliance!

Callistratus was severely jolted.

...

Although he had been king for many years, weathered countless events, and met no shortage of famous figures, Davos still could not suppress his curiosity as he studied the Theban envoy standing in the center of the Royal Palace's grand hall. The man's life was simply too legendary.

When Sparta successively conquered Central Greece and Northern Greece, and nearly all the Greek city-states had bowed to Spartan force, this young man—who was largely unknown at the time—bravely snuck back into Thebes with a few like-minded friends. They assassinated the puppets propped up by the Spartans, rallied the people, and drove the Spartan army out of Thebes. When many Greeks believed the Theban resistance would be a mere flash in the pan, the Theban government formed under his leadership did not crumble beneath the continuous Spartan assaults. On the contrary, Thebes gradually grew stronger through the war, until they could ultimately stand toe-to-toe with the Spartans.

Pelopidas... Davos murmured the name in his mind. In his past life, he had not known much about the history of ancient Greece. When it came to Thebes, he had only remembered Epaminondas. But now, he believed the man standing before him was an equally remarkable figure.

Pelopidas was also observing the King of Daionia with curiosity. He believed that he had accomplished great things so far, but compared to the man before him, his achievements paled into insignificance. The gap was simply too vast. When Pelopidas was just coming of age, still engrossed in attending banquets, engaging in athletics, and watching plays, this man had already led an army of mercenaries through thousands of perils, returning from the heart of Persia to win immense renown. Following that, he ventured to Magna Graecia, using a force of fewer than a thousand men to repel the natives. He seized Thurii City, founded the Kingdom of Daunia, defeated Crotone, vanquished Syracuse, and crushed Carthage. In a mere twenty-odd years, he had transformed this kingdom into the true hegemon of the western Mediterranean!

He had been to Persia and had witnessed the prosperity of Babylon. But when he set foot on the soil of Daionia, his careful observations along the way—especially the grand scale of Thurii City and the bustling prosperity of its ports—made him feel that this place was scarcely inferior. He was both surprised and thrilled, knowing he had come to the right place.